Who We Are and What We Stand For

Akyla Farms is Kevin and Carol Osterman. We started this farm in 2006 to bring pasture raised chicken, pork, beef,
and goat from livestock that has never been fed animal products or industry waste. The beef and goat will
also never be fed grain to maximize the health benefits of conjugated linoleic acid and omega-3 fatty acids. All
of the animals have a healthy, clean contented life. Although we are not certified organic, our animals will not
get drugs in their food but if one is sick or injured we will use the appropriate amount of medications to return
it to a healthy, clean contented life. If you are interested in learning more about our local, family farm please
feel free to contact us.

Goats for Hire

To be the talk of the neighbourhood and manage your brushy vegetation have the goats come stay
on your property more

Newsletter

The World is a Changin'

It seems weird to call this a winter newsletter when there are daffodils in bloom in the fields, trees and shrubs are
leafing out and the grass is starting to grow like a weed! This past year has been another year that flew by with lots
of joy and some heartbreak. On the national level we are still waiting for GMO labeling but Hersheys has announced
that it will be eliminating GMOs from its products mostly by the end of the year. Hoping that we have reached the
ipping point. On the farm front we have kept busy with chores more

Poultry & Pork

Layers:

Our laying flock is representative of the home flock in that we have a
wide variety of breeds (about 10) of chicken, along with a few ducks and
a goose. We like the variety as it does make it easier to watch
individuals and we allow the birds to live out their lives with us as we
see the older birds as being wiser in that ongoing predator/prey story.
The laying flock recently moved to new quarters and we are searching for
a trailer to convert to a portable eggmobile so the flock can enjoy
fresh pasturage along with their organic, non-GMO, soy free feed. They
also polish off leftover organic vegetables, fermented foods and some
meat from the house.

Pastured Meat Chickens:

We have been raising chickens for meat since 2006, using the Freedom
Rangers for the last several years. Freedom Rangers are what is called
a terminal cross of different breeds. This helps to give the birds
hybrid vigor which allows them to grow better than their parents. We
also like this breed because they do more than just go from feeder to
waterer and back. They graze fresh pasture daily once they come out of
the brooder and many take short flights in their pens.

The chickens eat an organic, non-GMO, soy free feed along with whatever
grasses, forbs and bugs they find. They also occasionally get some
surplus goat milk from our milking does. They are not vaccinated or
given antibiotics at any time. If medical treatment is needed
Homeopathic is the preferred modality.

To minimize stress on the birds we process our chickens here on the farm
where they are raised under the WA State Department of Agriculture
Pastured Poultry Permit. We use our own stainless steel equipment that
is cleaned before and after every use. Quality control for processing
day starts with deciding which birds to process first and does not end
until you pick up your birds. The rare bird that comes through with
plucker damage or had an injury is kept by us for our use.

Pastured Pork: Each spring we purchase 10 weaner pigs from a local pig farmer that we
raise on organic, non-GMO, soy free feed in a pasture setting. The pigs
are a Berkshire cross. This breed is known for its wonderful flavor and
eating experience and has been used for many many years to enhance other
swine breeds.
Once the weaners are settled in they enjoy fresh pasture on a regular
basis depending on how fast they utilize their area. We use portable
electrified netting to keep the pigs where we want them and be able to
efficiently create new areas for them in the tall grass, Japanese
Knotweed and blackberry patches. Along with their pasture and daily
ration of organic grain they also receive occasional organic produce,
surplus eggs from the laying flock and some milk from our dairy does.
Other than the initial trip from picking them up at the breeder's we do
not transport our pigs. This minimizes the stress they go through
thereby keeping the quality of the meat high. The custom butcher comes
to the pigs on a date scheduled 1-2 months in advance. By using a
custom butcher, you get to select the cuts of meat you like in the sizes
that fit your family and special occasions you may have.

Features/Benefits
Cleaner processing, openness of product information, supporting small family farm, consuming a healthier product
from an animal that is fed healthier as you are not just what you eat, you are what your food eats.

Life Cycles/Seasonality
Grass-based livestock production is in the rapid growth area. We will be increasing production as we are able to and
still keep up the quality.

As grass is seasonal so are our products. In order to provide the best quality/eating experience our stock are slaughtered
on their timeline.

Unmanaged Rotational Grazers

Elk on the Birdsview property.

More of the herd.

We regularly see up to thirty head as they wander around the Birdsview area. Fencing gets the brunt of the elk damage
but by using high tensile, electric that we specifically installed with the elk in mind we do very little repair.
Probably in the $20 per year range. Our gates get the worst of it.
The elk don't stay in one spot long enough to make a major impact and its rare that we have to adjust our grazing plan
around their consumption.

Meat birds transitioning out of the brooder.

This is a cool picture of the pasture pens for the meat chickens. We have found that the transition from the brooder to
the outdoor pens is scary for the birds so we provide them a little light to make the transition easier.